Two reasons for applying a title to a text
There are two reasons for applying a title to a text and proclaiming it in the beginning.
- Once one has understood the relationship between title and contents, one can identify the text one wants to read and leave the others aside.
- When a title has been given that reflects the subject of the text, a person of superior capacity, merely on seeing it, will have a grasp of the entire message of the text. A person of moderate capacity will understand its general gist, while a person of only modest ability will be able to find the volume easily, just as one can identify a medicine by looking at a label on the bottle. [1]
References
- ↑ Khenpo Kunpal, The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, a detailed commentary on Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva, page 30. Translated by Padmakara Translation Group. Published by Shambhala. ISBN 978-1-59030-439-6, ISBN 978-1-59030-699-4